casual cooking and living

Tag Archives: German food

To welcome Fall and celebrate my German heritage, I made this platter of cider braised bratwurst and then pan seared both the brats and some crisp apples all served on a red cabbage slaw, It was the perfect autumn dish a study in contrasts : slightly sweet and salty, softened apples mixing with the crispy slaw. It’s my modern take on the more classic brats with sauerkraut.

In medium sauce pan add bratwurst and cider, bring to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes remove from heat. Remove bratwurst remove brats from pan and set aside. Heat oil in a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples, cut side down, and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 5–8 minutes. Prick brats with a fork, add to skillet with apples, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Add wine and vinegar to skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened (liquid should coat a spoon), about 4 minutes.

To serve place red slaw on a platter , add apples and brats and enjoy!

As I was growing up, there was no finer signal that fall was near than when my grandmother make plum dumplings. The recipe was one my grandmother brought to the United States from her homeland of Gottschee, which long ago was a part of Austria. My grandfather would grow small italian plums and when they were ripe my grandmother would make dumplings which were similar to large gnocchi, filled with the plums and sugar. You would cut open the dumpling to a burst of purple sweet almost jam like filling. It was delicious!!! Yes, making this dumpling dough sounds a bit daunting , but you can press it into shape easily with your hands and as long as you pick any holes with your fingers you’ll have the same results in taste and perhaps the look is slighlty more rustic, but the taste will still deliver. This is traditionally a dessert but by the bay this is a special dinner. The season for these sweet italian plums are short so celebrate Fall this weekend and enjoy!

Peel and chop potatoes. Place in a medium sauce pan with cold water and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Drain and cool. In a bowl mash potatoes. Measure two cups of mash potatoes and place in large mixing bowl. Add flour and salt and mix well. Add the egg and oil and mix dough to form a ball. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky . Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes. In the meantime, bring a large stock pot of salted water to a boil. On a lightty floured surface roll out the dough to about a 1/3 of an inch . Cut dough into 16 squares or pat into 16 circles, flour your hands to handle the dough. Sprinkle the inside of the plums with sugar. Place one plum ( or 1/2 plum if the plums are medium size) to the center of each circle of dough. Gently bring up corners of the dough to center and pinch edges to seal. Carefully add dumplings to boiling water. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean. In a medium sauce pan melt butter until it starts to foam and then add breadcrumbs and saute until they start to brown. Remove from heat. Gently roll the dumplings in the bread crumbs and place on a serving platter. Sprinkle with extra sugar and serve immediately.

The leaves are falling, football season is well under way, homecoming queens and kings are in parades ( including my Mom) and the Octoberfest has started in Germany. What better way to celebrate fall than with a terrific bratwurst sandwich , kicked up a bit using some seasonal flavors, such as fresh horseradish and grated apple! The bratwurst preparation is very traditional but the horseradish cream dressing gives it the modern twist. Don’t be daunted by the instructions. If you are looking for shortcuts, buy some caramelized onions in a jar and use prepared horseradish. Reduce the amount used and adjust according to how much kick you want in the your dressing, Enjoy!

Take a large sauté pan to medium heat. Heat both oil and butter then add the sliced onions and salt. Keep at medium heat stirring often until the onions are well browned and caramelized about 15 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar and sauté another 30 minutes continuing to stir. The onions should be a deep brown color and have a jam like quality. Remove onions from pan and keep in bowl until ready to serve.

To make horseradish cream :

Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to make the bratwurst sandwiches.

To make bratwurst:

Place into dutch oven with the beer, bring to a boil, then lower to simmer for about 15 minutes. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the bratwurst and brown on all sides and remove from pan. .

To prepare the sandwich:

Preheat oven to 400F. Place the sourdough bread slices on a baking sheet. Brush cut side of the bread with olive oil. Bake in the oven for ten minutes until golden brown. Spread horseradish cream on side slice of bread, add the bratwurst and top while onion marmalade.

When I think about perfect no fuss side dishes for the summer my grandmother’s coleslaw always comes to mind. My paternal grandparents were Gottscheers, descendents of a small colony founded in 1350 with only 300 families. Gottscheers lived in a small area within the Austro- Hungarian Empire only 331 square miles. Customs and ltheir own dialect was handed down generation to generation, as were recipes. My grandparents were part of the large emigration from their homeland to the United States in the early 1900’s. Gottscheers remained close once they arrived in the United States. My grandparents were part of the Gottscheer group living in Ridgewood, Queens. My grandparents and their friends would socialize often, which included Sunday night card games. this coleslaw was served many, many sunday nights and it brings to mind love, friendship and just having a good time.

From by the bay wishing you happy food memories with your friends and loved ones!

Maryann

Grandma’s Coleslaw with Warm Dressing

Serves Six

Ingredients

1 medium head of cabbage, quartered removing core

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup fine granulated sugar

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Using a mandoline over a large mixing bowl, finely shred one head of cabbage. Set aside. To make dressing bring to a boil in a small medium sauce pan the vinegar, sugar and sea stirring occasionally. Boil until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Slowly add the oil and bring back to a boil. Remove pan from heat and pour dressing over the cabbage. Add caraway seeds, celery salt and pepper. Mix well. Place into a mason jar or container. Store at room temperature or

As we move further into fall, the winds pick up over the water by the bay. It becomes time for meals that are slowly cooked at the stove and shared with family. One of my childhood favorites is my grandmother’s goulash. She was born in Austria and a wonderful cook. I grew up watching her cook for hours. Unfortunately, I never took notes and she had just a few things written down, mostly for baking and just ingredients. I had bits and pieces of recipes from my memories and those of my family. I tried often to recreate grandma’s goulash recipe and it always fell slightly short. It wasn’t until my mom remembered that grandma added a large piece of lemon zest right before serving and oh I think she added a little cognac to the stock in the beginning of the recipe that I finally hit the mark. I admit, I have tweaked the recipe a little more, but only for the better. I don’t think grandma would mind at all. With the bar held so high, when I pleased the family, I knew I finally had it right! So it’s with great pleasure that I share this dish. Guten Appetit!

Beef Goulash

Serves 4-6

4 tablespoon olive oil

2 ½ lbs cubed beef stew meat

¼ cup flour

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

4 cups onions finely chopped

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon cognac

1 teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Zest of 1 lemon

Directions

Mix flour, salt, pepper and paprika in a sealed plastic bag. Add beef cubes into bag and coated with flour mixture. In a large Dutch oven heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté floured beef cubes until browned. Remove browned meat into bowl and place aside. Add remaining olive oil to pan and sauté the onions with the sugar until onions start to caramelized. Add the caraway seed, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. Sauté until fragrant about one minute. Add the tomatoe paste. Deglaze with the vinegar and stock , then add the meat. Bring to a boil, then lower heat , cover and simmer until very tender, approximately 2 hours. Add one tablespoon cognac and simmer another ten minutes. Remove from heat add lemon zest and serve with noodles, rice or dumplings!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Split plums and remove pits. Place plums in bowl, cover with lemon juice, mix and set aside. Using electric mixer combine ¼ lb butter and sugar until fluffy, then add egg and combine. Next add the flour and baking powder and combine. This makes a soft dough. Take an 8” non stick cake pan line with parchment and butter and flour the pan. Press the dough into the pan covering the bottom of the cake pan. Use a spatula to spread evenly on the bottom of the pan. Press plums into dough with the cut side facing up in a concentric circle. Combine 1 teaspoon sugar with ½ teaspoon cinnamon, mix and sprinkle on top of the plums. Dot with extra butter. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, until cake tester is clean.

There is nothing better on a blustery cold day then a warm bowl of soup. I have fond memories of my grandmother taking out her dutch oven on such days and making this soup from the staples she always had in her pantry. Her original recipe didn’t include the bacon. I happened to have some bacon leftover in the fridge and decided to use it. You could just as easily not use the bacon and just throw all the ingredients for the soup into the pot and simmer away, making this about as easy as any soup you could make. If you are feeling up for it by all means take the extra steps to fry the bacon and saute your onions and celery, the results were delicious. What really makes this potato soup so magnficent to eat, is not the bacon, it’s the dumplings you simmer into the soup at the end. Again, these are no fail dumplings just stir and drop into the hot soup to simmer into yummy small white balls soaked with the flavor of the soup. It’s the perfect comfort food to warm you from the harsh cold of winter.From by the bay wishing you warm potato food memories!
Maryann

Potato Soup with Small Dumplings

Serves 6

Ingredients for soup

4 ounces thick bacon, chopped

6 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

5 cups water

1 tablespoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3-4 cloves

optional: chopped parsley for garnish

Ingredients for drop dumplings

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup water

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

In a Dutch oven cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon onto paper towel and set aside. In the bacon fat saute the celery and onion until softened. Add the potatoes, water, salt, pepper and cloves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove the cloves out of the soup. With a potato masher, puree most of the vegetables. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick for your preference you can add some water and continue to simmer. To make the dumplings, combine the egg, water, salt and flour mixing until smooth. Drop by teaspoonfuls into the boiling soup. Cover and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and crisp bacon pieces.